Assembly Bill 109 went into effect in October 2011, transferring tens of thousands of inmates from the state's overcrowded prisons into county jails. The ripple effect was thousands of criminals getting early prison releases and thousands more never being sent to prison in the first place, according to the district attorney's office.

AB 109 appears responsible for at least a 15 percent increase in crime in Kern County, according to the prosecutor's office. An additional 1,057 felony criminal cases were filed last year in Kern County court, compared to 2011.